Studio sues over "Dirty Dancing" line

Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, stars of the 1987 film ''Dirty Dancing,'' pose together as they arrive for a screening of the film honouring the film's tenth anniversary August 20. 1997 in Los Angeles. Nobody puts Lionsgate in a corner. That's the message of a trademark infringement lawsuit the studio behind ''Dirty Dancing'' has filed against several companies selling merchandise featuring the phrase ''Nobody puts Baby in a corner'' from the hit film.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter, ESQ.) - Nobody puts Lionsgate in a corner. That's the message of a trademark infringement lawsuit the studio behind "Dirty Dancing" has filed against several companies selling merchandise featuring the phrase "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" from the hit film.

The suit, filed August 15 in Los Angeles District Court, claims 15 companies including Uncommongoods.com in New York, Lucky Lou Boutique in Fishers, Ind., and Duck Duck Goose in Troy, Ohio, have used Lionsgate's registered trademark without permission.

The quote, said by Patrick Swayze at the climax of the 1987 film starring Swayze and Jennifer Grey, has achieved a cult-like status, marketed and often repeated in films and TV shows for 20 years.

"The American Film Institute voted 'Nobody puts Baby in a corner' as one of the top 100 most popular quotes from a motion picture," the lawsuit states. "Plaintiff markets and sells merchandise with the movie trademarks through approved licensees as part of the 'Dirty Dancing' line of approved merchandise."

The defendants, many of which market baby clothing and merchandise, are not authorized to use the mark and have created a likelihood of confusion with merchandise authorized for sale by Lionsgate, the lawsuit alleges.

Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., seeks to prevent the businesses from selling merchandise containing the phrase. It also seeks a court order requiring the defendants to pay restitution as well unspecified statutory and actual damages, treble damages and punitive damages.

The defendants could not be reached for comment.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter